| Around
the World in 1,461 Days by bicycle
Above:
Where I went. Below: Where I planned to go.
Introduction
By Scott Stoll
Where
did you go?
The red line above is where I rode my bicycle (41,144
KM). Although I did cycle all of North America in a continuous line,
I am not a "purist". There are many too many places that
are just too ugly, unfriendly and dangerous for cycling. So, to
complete my circumnavigation, I connected the dots and lines with
either an airplane, train, bus, truck or ferry.
Why
would anyone ride their bicycle around the world?
Ask yourself this question, "If you could do anything
-- anything in the world -- what would you do?" You can guess
my answer. I feel that life is a gift and that I have only one chance
to live. In the words of Henry David Thoreau, "I went to the
woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential
facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach,
and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."
How
do you ride a bicycle around the world?
How does one define bicycling
around the world? Well, you wouldn't’t get very far trying
to bicycle around the equator since it is mostly water. However,
you could try lugging your bicycle to the North or South Pole, once
there you could finish the trip in minutes. Or, you could even join
the astronauts as they pedal a stationary bicycle while their ship
orbits the earth every 90 minutes. Maybe a more practical definition
involves bicycling every continent or every country. As it turns
out, these aren't’t very practical options. For instance, the
definition between continent, continental plate and island are not
clearly defined; while zigzagging between the invisible and often
disputed political borders seems pointless. As you can see from
the map my route consists of a compromise between all the above
considerations while avoiding prevailing headwinds, rainy seasons,
war zones, health emergencies and cold weather. All the while, I
constantly pushed forward, never counting the same kilometer twice,
in an effort to cycle the circumference of the earth: 40,077KM/24,
855.34 miles.
Share
the Adventure.
On our first trip, bicycling
across The United States, I realized that everyone I encountered
was partaking in my adventure and were adventurers themselves. On
the road, being a "crazy bicyclist" inspired many people
to follow their dreams. Many people have emailed saying they quit
their jobs and cycled countries like Cuba or Australia or Canada,
or they have backpacked Europe, hiked the Inca trail, kayaked New
Zealand. Some people told me they quit traveling because they were
inspired to go home to the adventure of building a community or
pursuing a new career or a new love. It has been my honor and privilege
to have gotten so many emails over they years. And, believe me,
I could never have accomplished my journey without all your words
of kindness in return.
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